Can Carlos Sainz Win Around Singapore Again?
The 2023 Singapore Grand Prix was pretty iconic for multiple reasons, one of them being the fact that Red Bull’s 100% win streak came to an end, another one being because of Mercedes’ late charge following a Virtual Safety Car, but probably the most notable thing of all was Carlos Sainz’s terrific tactical masterclass to win around the streets of Singapore! I still view that as the best Race win I’ve ever seen, certainly the best one I’ve ever written about, and now the question is can Carlos do it again? Sainz is good around Singapore, I mean he finished P4 in a Toro Rosso in 2017, and his 2024 Season has been pretty consistent! Also, given what happened in Baku last weekend, Carlos Sainz will be even more driven to return to the rostrum!
Kevin Magnussen is Back!
After his 1-Race ban, which meant he missed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Kevin Magnussen is back for Singapore! It’s not been a great year for K-Mag, I think that’s pretty obvious, but he did score a point in his last Race back in Monza! It’s also worth mentioning that Kevin’s penalty points total has been wiped which means he might be on a bit of a mission this weekend, but I think it would be unfair to rule Magnussen out of a good result given he’s going to be raring to go!
What is Going on With Max Verstappen?
For the first 41 Race Reviews that I did on this website, Max Verstappen won 33 of them (80.49%), and yet he hasn’t won any of the last 7! I think that honestly says a lot about how much Red Bull have dropped off, and it’s been a particually difficult time for Max Verstappen recently, probably the most difficult period in his career since 2018. It’s also very much worth mentioning that Max got completely out-performed by his teammate Sergio Perez last week and that rarely ever happens these days, and his Championship lead is starting to become more and more concerning with every Grand Prix that goes by! Singapore also isn’t a particually great track for either Verstappen or Red Bull, I mean he wasn’t even making the Podium here when the car was miles clear of the rest!
A Few Special Liveries!
Night Races always look super cool, but there’s always an extra buzz when team’s introduce special liveries for the weekend! Firstly, Mercedes have gone with a more “teal-coloured” car to celebrate 50 years of Petronas whilst Visa Cash App RB have gone with a sort-of denim design! I like the Mercedes, I think it looks quite cool, but I’m not sure about the VCARB! Oh, and it looks like McLaren have just released a special livery of their own because of course they have (to be fair to them, it does look pretty cool)!
George Russell’s Looking for Redemption!
I need to word this very carefully! Singapore has not been a kind circuit to George Russell, he hasn’t scored any points in his 3 visits to the track, and after driving quite a good Race in 2023, George ended up in the barriers on the final lap! Now 2024 has been a good year for Russell, he’s got the maximum out of his Mercedes on most occasions, and he’s been to the Podium 3 times (with the highlight being his victory in Austria). Now, it’s so tight at the front which makes it harder to win (or even get on the Podium), but I said George Russell would win Singapore back in January, and I feel like being “delulu”!
My Predictions for Singapore Qualifying
George Russell
Charles Leclerc
Carlos Sainz
Oscar Piastri
Lando Norris
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